In the Bleak Mid Winter

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago. ~ Christina Rossetti

Today, the Winter Solstice is anything but bleak midwinter. In Florida, the  temperature is a balmy 79 degrees, and the humidity hovers around 80 percent. As someone noted this morning, it feels more like Spring Break than Christmas.

It is often very difficult for me to get into the Christmas spirit when the weather hovers at Indian Summer. I know many people in the frozen tundra would trade places with me, but I blame it on watching too many Christmas movies and devouring too many books as a child. 

Meg March and her sisters did not trudge through a thick layer of leaves to deliver their baskets of food. Mr. Edwards did not take a refreshing dip in the Verdigris River in his union suit to deliver Laura and Mary Ingalls Christmas gifts. in stories, as in movies, it's always snowing Christmas Eve!

I admit that it rarely, if ever, snowed around Christmas in the Maryland suburbs where I grew up. The exception was the famous Christmas blizzard of 1966. My grandmother, aunt and uncle were snowed in with us. On Christmas Eve, the adults in the neighborhood took out their children's sleds and had a blast drinking eggnog (spiked, of course), and sledding down the big hill that began its steep descent in front of our house. My parents cleverly explained to us that the sled tracks all over the lawn was evidence of Santa's sleigh. 

I realize that snow in Florida would be extremely rare, although we had a sprinkling one year. I just wish for a nice cold front. That's not  a tall order. Living in the Northeast portion of the state, we do experience winter like temperatures starting in late December and lasting through February.

I enjoyed sitting out on the porch on this balmy December day,  all I want for Christmas is more Christmas like temperatures, at least for the next few days?